With the recovery of one more body of a jawan of the Indian Army, the death toll on Saturday of Tripura-based jawans increased to two in the catastrophic landslides in Manipur’s Noney district. The deceased jawan is identified as Prashanta Kumar Deb.
After rescuers extricated the body of Jawan Sanjay Debnath who hailed from Bishalgarh under Sepahijala District on Saturday, the body of one more soldier, Prasanta Kumar Deb was recovered today.
Prashanta Kumar Deb hailed from Kuchpara in Kalyanpur under Khowai district. He is survived by his wife and his six-year-old daughter. Deb’s wife is a police constable and posted in Agartala.
Meantime, sources said, after receiving a report of the demise of Sanjay Debnath, his wife became unwell and as her condition deteriorated she was referred to Hapania Mediacal College in Agartala today. Debnath is survived by his elderly parents, wife and son, local sources said and added, the body of the deceased jawan is expected to arrive in his native place on Sunday.
Chief Minister of Tripura Dr Manik Saha, ex-Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, MoS Pratima Bhowmik, MP Rebati Tripura and others condoled deaths of the jawans.
Total number of deaths in Thursday’s devastating landslides in Manipur’s Noney district, triggered by incessant rains, has reached 27, including 22 Territorial Army personnel, while over 40 more people are still missing, officials said. Official reports said that more than 80 persons are feared to have been buried alive after the massive mudslide in the under-construction railway infrastructures at Tupul in western Manipur.
Officials said that 13 injured Territorial Army soldiers and five civilians have been extricated even as rescue operations by the army, and central and state agencies were on at full pace since the past three days.
A defence spokesman said that the mortal remains of 14 Territorial Army personnel, including one JCO, were sent to their respective home stations by Indian Air Force aircraft and an Indian Army helicopter, while one body was sent to Manipur’s Kangpokpi by road after a wreath-laying ceremony in Imphal. The Army’s Red Shield Division commander and Inspector General of Assam Rifles, South, participated in the ceremony.
Search for 12 missing Territorial Army personnel and 26 civilians continued by the Army, Assam Rifles, Territorial Army, and national and state disaster response force at Tupul, and several excavators are being used to pull out bodies from the Ijei River.
Around 10 columns of defence personnel have been pressed into the search operation, he said, adding a synergised and joint operational task force coordinating the efforts to remove the mud and boulders.
“‘Thorough Wall Radar’ is also being inducted to detect the presence of personnel buried in the debris,” the defence spokesman said, adding that a search and rescue dog squad is also being inducted.
